A Slightly Twisted Labyrinth
by Tial
Summary: When Jareth disappears, Sarah is asked to take his place. Please tell me what you think. It has ten chapters and is now done. Yay! I might do a sequel, if my muse decides on cooperating, she's been a little touchy lately.
1. A Strange Request

She knew it was going to be a bad day when she opened her eyes and found a dwarf looking at her

I own none of the characters, wish I did, but I don't.

She knew it was going to be a bad day when she opened her eyes and found a dwarf looking at her.

With a startled yell, Sarah sat up quickly in bed, the dwarf jumping back, just as startled as she was.

"Why are yous doing that?" Hoggle asked indignantly, brushing off his clothes.

"I'm dreaming, I have to be still dreaming," Sarah moaned, lying down and covering her head with the pillow.

"Sarah?"

"Go away, I haven't had any of you people in my dreams for so long, why now?" Sarah muttered, peeking out from under the pillow to see if she had woken up yet.

Hoggle sighed angrily and limped over to the side of the bed.

"Sarah, yous didn't dream any of us. We's real and we's need your help."

"The Labyrinth was a dream! That's all, I've had quite a few highly recommended psychiatrists help me realize that it was a dream and it's not nice to prove them wrong. Will you please go away so I can wake up and continue living my nice boring and normal life?"

"No I will not. Not until you at least hear why I's here."

"Fine," Sarah mumbled, taking her head out from beneath the pillow and looking at Hoggle.

"Well, we's ain't a dream, we's never was. Anyway, as to why I's here, Jareth's left the kingdom and we's don't know where he's gone. He just got fed up with stealing kids one day and vanished. We's needs somebody who knows the Labyrinth to fill in until we's finds him. Will yous please help us?" Hoggle asked.

"Okay, I know it was all a dream, but for your sake, even if I did go with you, I haven't seen the Labyrinth in almost ten years and I have no magic powers," Sarah said, running a hand through her tangled hair.

"The Labyrinth don't change none since then. Please Sarah?"

"Why me?"

"Because, you befriended Didymus, Ludo, and me and so we's trusts ya. It won't be for too long, just until we's finds Jareth."

Sarah sat up and looked around the tiny bedroom of her apartment. It wouldn't hurt to go with him, her rent was paid and she was out of a job for the moment anyway. She looked back at Hoggle and reached out a hand, hesitantly touching him to make sure he was real.

"How will I be able to do magic?"

"We's'll show yous how."

"All right, I guess I might as well, but I'm not singing."

Hoggle thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Fine, we's desperate."

"Go wait in the living room while I change. Do I need to bring anything?"

"Nope, we's'll supply everything," Hoggle said, walking into the living room.

Once he was gone Sarah shook her head and pinched her arm, hoping it wouldn't hurt. It did, and she groaned, running a hand over her eyes.

"Oh well, I told him I'd help. I'll have a nervous breakdown when I get back," she muttered, standing and grabbing a T-shirt and jeans before walking into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, she walked into the living room and turned on her computer, grabbing a pop tart from a cupboard as she waited for the Windows screen to go on.

"What is yous doin?" Hoggle asked, 

"I'm going to email my family and tell them I'm going on vacation. They might get a little worried if I all of a sudden disappeared," Sarah explained, taking a bite of the pop tart as she quickly typed out an email and sent it.

"Okay, I'm ready to go," Sarah said, shutting off her computer and finishing the pop tart. As she stood, she vaguely thought she would regret doing this, but she shrugged, it was a little late to say no now.

Hoggle fumbled in one of the pouches on his belt and pulled out a crystal. "Here we's goes," he said, throwing the crystal at their feet.


	2. Peculiar Teachings

Sarah sighed as she looked up at the tall double doors of the castle

Still don't own any of this stuff, never will.

Sarah sighed as she looked up at the tall double doors of the castle. 

"I'm going to regret saying yes, aren't I?" she asked Hoggle.

Hoggle merely shrugged and limped over to the doors, banging on them.

"Who goes forth into the castle?" a sharp and familiar voice called out.

"It's me Sir Didymus, Sarah."

"Lady Sarah? How wonderful you have returned. We will be eternally grateful for your help," Didymus said as the doors opened and he came out, riding his noble sheep dog Ambrosius.

"I just hope I won't be eternally regretting this," Sarah murmured.

"My lady?" Didymus asked, slightly confused.

"Never mind," Sarah said with a shake of her head. "So, what's first?"

"First I shall escort you to your rooms where we have a tailor waiting for you," Didymus said, urging Ambrosius into a trot and motioning for Sarah to follow him.

After several twists and turns they arrived at a large door, which Sarah opened. Stepping inside, she nodded in appreciation as she glanced around the spacious bedroom. A huge canopied bed with midnight blue sheets took up one corner, and several chairs in matching blue lay scattered by a large window overlooking the goblin city. A second door led to a darkly tiled bathroom and the last door led to a huge walk in closet.

Pacing impatiently in the bedroom was a goblin with a clipboard and a measuring tape.

"Is you the one I am to be measuring?" it asked Sarah.

Sarah nodded and walked over with a sigh. Allowing the goblin to take down every measurement she could think of and some that she didn't, she was glad when he finally scuttled out the door, muttering to himself about the measurements.

"Now what?" Sarah grumbled, sitting in one of the chairs and looking at Didymus.

"Now my lady, you shall be taught how to use the crystals and then how to shapeshift."

"I have no magic, how am I supposed to do anything?"

"Well my lady, we have a magic medallion that should give you enough powers to wield the crystals."

"Why do I have to learn to shapeshift?" Sarah asked, following Sir Didymus and Ambrosius from the room.

"Well, ah, hmm. Because that is how Jareth always traveled in your world unless taking the children," Didymus said in a hopeful voice.

"I'll try it, but I'm not agreeing that that's how I'll travel."

Sir Didymus nodded and led her into the throne room, where several goblins chattered amongst themselves and Hoggle stood by a table, glancing at what lay on its surface.

"I's wondering what's taking yous so long?" Hoggle said irritably.

"I had to be measured by a goblin," Sarah answered, looking at the medallion and black gloves on the table. The medallion looked exactly like the one Jareth had worn with one of his shirts, mini bull horns upside down attached to a chain. "That's a magic medallion? Looks more like a fertility symbol of some tribe," she muttered.

"Puts it on, puts it on, I's ain't got all day," Hoggle said, handing it to her.

With a sigh, she slipped it on, then tugged on the gloves. "Now what?"

"Now, you must, ah, picture a crystal," Didymus said, climbing up and sitting on the corner of the table.

"Riight." Sarah gave him a flat look and closed her eyes, trying to visualize a crystal. "Is it working yet?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well, ahh, somewhat?" Didymus said, slightly confused.

"Well, yous gots crystal. Now tries to thinks crystal ball, not crystal prism," Hoggle muttered.

Sarah looked at what she had in her hand and her eyes widened when she found herself holding a crystal prism, rainbows dancing on the opposite wall.

"I, I made a crystal," she murmured, slowly sinking onto the throne. "Magic," she whispered, with a slight smile.

Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and pictured the crystal that Jareth had shown her ten years ago.

"Yous gots it, yous gots it! I's knews yous was a natural," Hoggle said with a grin.

Sarah opened her eyes and grinned when she found a crystal ball the size of a pool ball, resting on the tips of her fingers.

"What do I do with it now?" she asked, forgetting that a few hours ago, she had thought all this was just a dream.


	3. Difficult Magic

I don't own any of this, et cetera

I don't own any of this, et cetera.

Making a crystal was one thing, using it was quite another.

"I tried to warp myself there, not you," Sarah shouted angrily back at Hoggle, who clutched to the chandelier on the ceiling.

"Get me's down now!" Hoggle cried, glaring down at Sarah.

"I'm trying, now just be quiet," Sarah muttered, closing her eyes and trying to picture Hoggle on the ground, unharmed.

"On the ground, not in it!"

"Sorry, I told you I couldn't do this," Sarah said, trying once more to get Hoggle to stay on the ground, being as he was currently half stuck in the floor.

"Ah, maybe we should, ah, work on shapeshifting my lady," Sir Didymus volunteered timidly, glancing as Hoggle dusted off his pants.

"No, no more shapeshifting. Last time I tried that, I flew sideways and when I went back to my original form, I ended up without clothes in the middle of the Labyrinth, unable to transport myself back! No more shapshifting," Sarah said, flinging herself onto the throne and absently twirling crystals in her hand.

"You'll be able to control the magic soon, Lady Sarah," Didymus said encouragingly.

Hoggle muttered something under his breath and went to tell the goblins it was safe to enter the throne room, Sarah was done practicing for the day.

Several weeks passed and Sarah was able to control the magic…most of the time.

"My lady? Are you almost dressed, you need to begin soon?" Sir Didymus called through the door of the dressing room, glancing back at Hoggle who was pacing around the bedroom.

"I can't wear this! All I need is a whip and I could go to a costume party as a dominatrix!" Sarah shouted as she threw open the door and strode out. The outfit was basically the same as Jareth had worn the first time she had seen him, slightly modified for her modification of course.

The high collared cape left a suffocating cloud of glitter behind her as she walked carefully in the stiletto high heeled boots that came up to her calf. The tight black shirt had a low V-neck and was covered in mounds of frothy black lace.

She ran a black gloved hand through her teased up hair and grimaced as she saw her overly makeuped reflection in the mirror.

"I can't do this, I look awful," she moaned, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Yous gottsa do it," Hoggle protested.

"You shall do fine my lady, and you look wonderful."

"When exactly am I supposed to do this?"

Hoggle glanced at the clock on the wall. "Ins about ten minutes."

"You still haven't found Jareth? Aren't you looking hard enough?" Sarah demanded as they made their way to her throne room.

"My lady, we have Sir Ludo, several goblins, and several fierys looking for him. We shall find him eventually."

"Well, it's not soon enough for me," Sarah said irritably, calling up a crystal and watching as a girl of about fifteen began to say the exact words the goblins had been waiting for.

"I wish the goblins would come and take you away…right now."


	4. The First Job

Still don't own anything, you get the picture

Still don't own anything, you get the picture.

"I wish the goblins would come and take you away, right now," the petite blonde said, yelling at her little, curly haired sister, who sat in the middle of the living room floor crying loudly.

Lightning flashed out of a clear sky and the girl spun around, alarmed by the flickering lights. Turning around, she found her sister had vanished.

"Alyson, where did you go?" she said hesitantly.

A figure appeared at the glass paneled French doors that led to the patio, the figure framed by a flash of lightning.

Sarah appeared outside on the patio, spreading her hands to her sides and walked forward…straight into the door.

"Damn it," she muttered, resisting the urge to rub her forehead. Creating a crystal, she threw it at the double doors and they flew open. Striding in, Sarah attempted to salvage her entrance, but the heel of her boot caught on the fringe of a carpet and sent Sarah stumbling forward.

Gritting her teeth, she stood tall and looked contemptuously at the girl, glad when the girl took a step back and gasped.

"Now, did you really want to wish the baby away?" Sarah asked in a bored tone, creating a crystal and twirling it on her hand.

The girl stared speechless at the woman dressed in tight black clothes, shocked and terrified. She had never seen so much glitter or eye makeup in her life. In the back of her mind, she vaguely wondered how the woman walked in such high heels.

"Who, who are you?"

"I am the Goblin Queen," Sarah said, wondering for a moment if that was the correct title. Oh well, it had sounded right and she was going to use it.

"The who?"

"The Goblin Queen. I rule over the Labyrinth and the goblins. You asked them to take away the child, so they did. Now, for the last time, did you want them to take the baby?" Sarah said, slightly annoyed at the girl's confusion.

"Of course I didn't want Alyson to be taken by goblins! I was just mad because she wouldn't stop crying. Give her back now."

"Why should I? What's said is said," Sarah said with a shrug.

"If you don't, I'm going to call the police and have you arrested for kidnapping and breaking and entering," the girl said in a determined voice.

Sarah inwardly grimaced, she hoped she hadn't been like this.

"Do you really think I'd stick around while the police came? If you give me a reasonable answer, I might decide not to make you try to get through my Labyrinth in thirteen hours. I might be kind and just give the child back."

"Please, please just give her back. I won't say it again, I promise. I didn't really mean it, please, my parents would be furious if she wasn't here when they came back," the girl said, almost in tears.

Sarah sighed, she couldn't make the girl go through the Labyrinth, no matter what Hoggle and Didymus had instructed her to do and act like.

"Very well. Goblin!" Sarah shouted, smiling as a hideous little goblin appeared before her and bowed.

"Majesty."

"Bring back the baby."

"What!?"

"I said bring back the baby, now."

"But-"

"Bring back the child before I grow angry," Sarah said through clenched teeth.

"Fine, fine, but that ain't the way it's done," the goblin muttered as it disappeared.

A moment later Alyson reappeared, her eyes wide and frightened.

"I was generous this time, but in the future, I wouldn't call upon any creatures of magic to do anything," Sarah said with a cold smile, throwing a crystal to the floor and vanishing in another cloud of glitter.

"You's was supposed to take the kid! Not gives it back!" Hoggle stormed at her as she reappeared in the throne room.

"I saw myself ten years ago pleading with the goblin king to give my brother back. How could I make the poor girl go through the labyrinth?"

"My lady, those are the, ah, rules," Sir Didymus said mildly, glancing up at her.

"I know, but I'm running this place now, so rules change. There is no more goblin king, there is a goblin queen, and from now on, I'm going to change some things if I see fit," Sarah said, turning and walking to her room.

Later she sat in one of the midnight chairs, her wet hair sticking to the bathrobe she wore. Shifting positions in the chair, she grimaced and looked down at her blistered feet.

"I hate those shoes," she muttered as she made a crystal appear and turn into a basin of hot water for her feet to soak in.


	5. An Annoying Job

Don't anything thing, and yes, I know it's really short, oh well

Don't anything thing, and yes, I know it's really short, but my muse could only stay for a few minutes. Hopefully she'll stay longer next time.

It had been over three months since Hoggle had come and asked for her help. Ludo and the others still hadn't found Jareth, and Sarah was becoming fed up with being queen of the Labyrinth.

"Majesty, another one has wished two children away," a little goblin called out to Sarah, jumping with glee.

Sarah sighed and slowly stood, the crimson cape, swirling around her booted feet. The crimson shirt had a black spider web design made of tiny crystals that matched her tight black pants.

A crystal appeared in her gloved hand and she threw it to the floor, watching as her throne room vanished, replaced by a child's messy bedroom.

Two little boys stared cautiously at goblins while sitting inside a ring of salt, quite effective at keeping creatures of magik out.

Sarah saw the circle and barely contained her scream of rage.

"Where are you?" she called out in a loud, angry voice.

"I was just getting more salt," a voice called out as a teenage girl walked into the room.

"This is the third time in two months that you have called me here to take the children away. All three times, you have protected the children with a circle of salt that none of my goblins can pass. What do you want?" Sarah asked, almost snarling.

"What I wanted the first two times. Where's the goblin king?"

"He has vanished, I told you that the first two times!"

"Well, I won't let anybody but the goblin king take those two little brats. I just can't wait to meet him, he must be terribly handsome," the girl said wistfully.

Sarah glared at the girl, trying and failing to keep a hold on her temper.

"Listen here you little brat. There is no more goblin king, he left and I run the Labyrinth now. If you ever call for me again, I will make you go through the Labyrinth, even if I don't have the children."

Sarah turned and looked at the confused goblins still standing outside the protective ring.

"Return to the Labyrinth," she commanded them, waiting until they had all vanished before turning and looking at the pouting teenager.

"Call for me again, and I will make sure you end up in an oubliette for a very, very long time," she said as she vanished, smiling slightly as she heard the girl cough on a cloud of glitter.

Sarah paced around in the Escher room, still fuming. She had made around ten people journey through her Labyrinth to reclaim their siblings. Most had acted like she had, scared and angry, but a few hadn't cared that she was there to steal children, and a few had actually tried to attack her, not that it did any good. 

Looking up, she glanced at the staircase overhead and frowned.

"Jareth, wherever you are, I hope you're having fun, because when you come back, I'm gonna make your life hell because of what you've done to mine," she whispered under her breath, vanishing from the room.


	6. Visit to an Old Friend

I don't own anything Labyrinth, but the doctor is mine

I don't own anything Labyrinth, but the doctor is mine.

Sarah looked down at her outfit and smiled maliciously. The black leather pants were almost painted on and the thigh high boots were also made of black leather, blending in with the pants. The low V-neck of the iridescent black shirt was framed by a simple black lace, as were the cuffs that spilled onto her black gloves. The medallion glinted golden against her pale skin and she knew her eyes stood out with the heavy application of makeup she had used.

"Time for some fun," she murmured, tossing a crystal to the floor and laughing evilly.

The man sat at his desk, glad there were no afternoon appointments. That meant he could leave early.

A flash of light blinded him and he flew back against the wall, hitting a framed diploma. He opened his eyes and squinted against the whirlwind of glitter.

"Good afternoon Dr. Duerf, I hope I'm not disturbing you," Sarah said coolly, managing to hide her triumphant grin as her ex-psychiatrist looked at her in confusion.

"M-Miss Williams?" Duerf stuttered.

"That's right doctor. I'm surprised you still remember me. You were so helpful all those years ago when you tried to convince me that the Labyrinth was all just a figment of my overworked adolescent imagination, a dream. As you can see, it's a very real dream now doctor," Sarah said contemptuously, absently twirling crystals in her hands.

"But, but it is just your imagination, it really isn't real Miss Williams," Duerf protested, wondering if he could reach the phone and call security before Miss Williams did anything dangerous.

"It isn't is it? Then why am I now the Goblin Queen, ruling over the Labyrinth and stealing children who are wished away?"

"Miss Williams, I can see that you're troubled, so why don't I just call for someone to come up and help you?"

"I don't think so doctor," Sarah muttered, tossing a crystal at him and freezing him in his tracks. "Would you like to see my kingdom, my figment of imagination as you call it? It's right outside your window."

He floated over to the window, Sarah walking beside him. She pulled up the horizontal blinds and Dr. Duerf gasped as he looked out at the red landscape of the Labyrinth.

"Would you like to see if you can pass the Labyrinth. I'll give you thirteen hours just as I had. By the end of it doctor, you won't know reality from fantasy," Sarah whispered vindictively.

Dr. Duerf's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his head and his breath was coming in bellows.

"But…but…I…what?" he sputtered, not looking away from the castle in the center of the Labyrinth.

Sarah laughed insolently. "You would not last a minute in there doctor, so it would be a waste of energy to transport you."

She flicked her wrist in the direction of his desk, and the doctor floated back, still unable to move more than his eyes.

"Well, I unfortunately must leave you, someone must be wishing a child away somewhere and I have a job to do. It was lovely seeing you again and thanks once more for all the help you gave me," she said sarcastically, throwing the doctor a crystal, which freed his movements before she vanished.

Looking out the window and seeing merely a tree lined street and not a Labyrinth, Doctor Duerf promptly fainted.


	7. Return of the King

Sarah lounged on the throne, glad that no one had wished any children away yet today

Nope, still don't own it, never will.

Sarah lounged on the throne, glad that no one had wished any children away yet today. She still had a headache from last night, when she had tried to argue with a Swede, he speaking no English and she speaking no Swedish.

Suddenly there was a flash of light and Jareth appeared in the middle of the throne room. He was dressed in a black shirt tucked into a pair of black pants with a Gucci leather belt holding them to his waist. He wore a long greyish-blue coat that went down to his calves and a pair of black sunglasses. He had grown a strange little goatee and died his blond hair reddish-orange. It was now cut short and put up in spikes. He set down his compact red and black tiger striped suitcase and took off his shades, looking wide-eyed at her.

"What in the wold are you doing sitting in my throne Sarah? Why are you dressed like that? Hey…that's my necklace!" 

"Jareth! Where the hell have you been?" Sarah asked as she stood quickly, feeling a bit ridiculous in the tight black leather and silk she wore, glad she was at least without the cape today.

Jareth folded his sunglasses and put them in his coat pocket. "I was curious to see if there was life on Mars. So I went to see. The only life I found on Mars were the spiders."

His eyes took her in and he smiled.

"You're looking good Sarah. Very good. Now…what have you been doing?" he asked as he sauntered up to her, still smiling.

"I've been filling in for you, what the hell does it look like?" she asked angrily, stepping back and into the throne, barely keeping her balance.

He reached out and steadied her.

"Careful. I thank you for filling in for me, it was very nice of you. But I'm back now. I think I should thank you for filling in, it's only fair."

He stepped around her to the throne and stretched out on it.

"How about dinner. You can tell me all about what has been going on and I'll tell you all about the spiders from Mars."

"I want nothing more to do with you. I'll go back to my bedroom, change my clothes, turn my wardrobe to ashes and go back home," Sarah said, a crystal appearing in her gloved hand.

Jareth popped out of his chair, paler than usual.

"Sarah! You just…you can…how is it that you…"

He pointed a finger at the crystal then looked up at her, a proud expression on his face. "You learned how to control the magik. My my Sarah. You have been busy."

A grin spread across his face. "And when did you get rooms of your own here in my castle?"

"You left, I was put in your place, my castle now," Sarah said with a cold smile, throwing the crystal to the ground and disappearing to her room.

Jareth frowned and picked up his suitcase. 

"Might as well put my clothes away," he murmured as he created a crystal and transported to his rooms, to find Sarah standing in front of his wardrobe, which was stuffed with her clothes.

She was peeling out of her Goblin Queen clothes at the moment, and had her back to him.

Apparently, her room was also his room, or vice versa.

He quietly set down his suitcase and walked toward her, his feet making no noise on the plush carpet. He dodged a boot that was thrown over her shoulder, then the other, but her shirt hit him full on the face. With a shameless grin, he lifted the shirt and nodded appreciatively at her bare back. He kept creeping closer until he was only an inch away from her before leaning his head over her shoulder and peering at…the wardrobe?

"What have you done to my clothes Sarah?" he asked with great amusement.

Sarah let out a shriek and grabbed a cloak to cover herself since the medallion lay on the floor beside the pants and undergarments.

"Get the hell out of here!" She screamed at him, grabbing the medallion and throwing a crystal at him.

He dodged the flying crystal and grinned at her.

"But these are the Goblins Kings rooms. I'm the Goblin King so these are my rooms." He grinned and stepped closer again. "But…you are the Goblin Queen…am I right? So that would make it…our rooms now wouldn't it Sarah?"

"I demand that you get out," Sarah said, throwing another crystal at him and pointing at the door with the hand that clutched the medallion tightly.

He caught the crystal in his hands and began to roll it from one hand to another.

"Out of my own rooms? Oh Sarah. You are so cruel." He laughed and took off his coat then hung it up in the wardrobe, leaving him in the long sleeved black shirt.

"I'll leave only if you have dinner with me. I want to hear all about the girl who solved my labyrinth and defeated its maker. That and hearing about the past few months would be entertaining also."

Suddenly he was behind her again and taking the medallion from her.

"And that is mine," he said with a slight chuckled.

"Go away," Sarah said, glaring at him as she turned and pressed her back against a wall, her cheeks dark crimson.

He sat down on his bed and flopped down onto his back.

"The way I see it dear Sarah is that you have two choices. You can have dinner with me or you can give me a free show."

He smiled as he rolled his head to the side to look at her.

"It is your choice."

"Fine, I'll go to dinner with you. Now give me the medallion," she hissed through clenched teeth.

His smiled turned into a grin as he stood and walked over to her. He unclasped the necklace and then put it around her neck, his fingers flirting with her skin as he did so.

"Call me when your ready to eat then," he said stepping back, still smiling. He turned and started walking towards the door.

"Oh and Sarah…since these seem to be our rooms and you are using them would you mind putting my clothes away? Thank you."

With that he walked out and closed the door behind him, leaving his red and black tiger striped suitcase in the middle of the floor.

Sarah let out a small scream of frustration she threw a few crystals to the ground, creating a pair of jeans, a cream colored sweater, and undergarments.

After slipping her clothes on, she kicked Jareth's suitcase across the room, then cursed under her breath and rubbed her bare foot. With a sigh, she tossed a crystal at the suitcase, the clothes disappearing and reappearing neatly hung in the wardrobe, although several sizes smaller.

Creating a pair of sandals, she slipped them on and went to find Hoggle to tell him she was leaving immediately.

As she rounded a corner she ran smack into Jareth. He puffed up to yell at who ever had run into him then relaxed when he saw it was Sarah. He put an arm across her shoulders.

"Now you are looking more like yourself. Dinners not ready yet. Perhaps a walk? You can tell me all about the past few months," he said with a pleasant smile.

She threw his arm off her shoulders and stepped away from him. "I ruled in your place, that's all there is to it. Goodbye," she muttered, stalking off towards the throne room.

He was waiting for her on his throne. He looked up and smiled at her as she entered the room.

"Oh come now Sarah. There must be something interesting that happened."

"Not really, it's a rather boring job," Sarah snapped, tossing a crystal at her feet and appearing in the Escher room, the hold on her temper almost breaking.

Jareth steepled his fingers. She was very angry at him. But it wasn't his fault! He had just gone on vacation! Didn't every one need a vacation? He heard the words being spoken by some child and sighed. Snapping his fingers he dressed himself in one of his outfits and prepared to leave but then thought about his dinner with Sarah. Sighing he formed a crystal and put a message into it then sent it to find Sarah, where ever she had gone. He then left to go and harass the foolish child that was still yelling for him to come and take the child away from her.


	8. Unnerving Information

I continue to not own this

I continue to not own this.

A crystal appeared in front of Sarah and she touched it, listening as it told her that Jareth had gone to fetch a child.

With a smile, she transported herself to the throne room and shouted for Hoggle, pacing as she waited.

"Yes?" Hoggle asked as he limped into the room.

"Jareth has returned, so I'm going home. So long and tell Sir Didymus goodbye."

"Wells, lets me go and gets Sir Didymus so's as yous can tell him," Hoggle said as he began to limp out.

Sarah sighed. "Well, hurry. I want to be gone before Jareth returns," she called out after him.

Jareth crashed back into the room in his usual attire and a furious state of mind.

"Salt! The little wretch! I hope she starves to death in that oubliette! No…better," he said pointing a finger at Sarah. "I'll only giver her salt to eat! Salt! Then we'll see how she feels about calling upon the king with such trivial requests! Salt for crying out loud..."

Jareth continued to storm around the throne room, grinding his teeth together and spitting out insults.

Sarah chuckled, then began to laugh, sitting down before she fell. Tears began to fill her eyes as she continued to laugh, wiping at her eyes.

Jareth turned to look at her, calming somewhat. "I don't find this funny," he said utterly confused.

Sarah ignored him and slowly stopped laughing, taking deep and slow breaths. With a snap, her hair and makeup became the same she used as the Goblin Queen and she created a crystal, smiling at the girl in the oubliette.

"Poor little girl, did you get your wish? Did you see the Goblin King?" Sarah asked, smiling as she watched the girl look around the oubliette in alarm.

"I warned you that you'd end up in an oubliette, but you just had to see the Goblin King. Well, I hope you're happy with the outcome, because I certainly am," Sarah said, knowing the girl could see her face. Her smile was full of malicious delight as she let out a contemptuous laugh and disappeared.

Once the crystal vanished, she began to laugh again, still ignoring Jareth.

Jareth watched her amazed. A new side to Sarah? A side, he had to admit, he really liked. He felt himself smiling as he watched the Goblin Queen. She really did look wondrous. He chuckled to himself. Even her makeup and hairstyle was strangely similar to his. He was about to comment on her astounding looks when Sir Didymus walked in.

"M-Majesty?" he said hesitantly, looking at the still chuckling Sarah.

"Oh, Sir Didymus, I merely wanted you to come so I could say farewell," Sarah said, her makeup and hair returning to normal.

"Are thou leaving?"

"Well, your king is back now, and I might as well get back to my life," Sarah said with a shrug, slowly standing and smiling down at the courageous knight.

Jareth frowned. "I thought we had a deal. I thought you were going to stay for dinner," he said softly.

Sarah rolled her eyes and slowly shrugged. "Fine, I'll stay for dinner, then leave."

He nodded his thanks still watching her. Didymus bowed and left quietly, leaving Jareth alone with Sarah again.

"How long are you going to leave that girl in there?" Sarah asked, lounging on the throne.

Jareth shrugged. "Oh…I'm not sure. How long do you think is sufficient? Thirteen hours or so you think?"

"That sounds wonderful, should do the little brat some good," Sarah muttered, her smile cold.

He nodded and walked around the room to stand beside her. "That it would." He laughed cruelly. "Salt…"

Sarah was silent for a moment, then frowned. "Would it have been possible to have just created a broom and destroyed the salt circle? I didn't think of that before for some reason."

He shrugged and knelt down beside her. "It's funner this way."

Sarah chuckled slightly, then remembered that this was the Goblin King, the man who had made her go through the Labyrinth ten years ago. She stood and walked to the other end of the room, glancing out the window.

Jareth stood and came up to stand behind her.

"It's beautiful when you look at it isn't it? But I think it looks best at night, when the moon is full and makes long shadows. It seems more magical that way."

He smiled as he found himself looking at Sarah instead of the labyrinth.

"Personally I'll be glad to see a normal view when I look out of my window," Sarah said, shuddering slightly. She tried to move and found Jareth was cornering her next to the window, with no place to go.

He smiled down at her. "Normality is so overrated. I strongly suggest the unexpected. But," he looked to the window. "If you wish to see a normal view then change it. You are the Queen of this land."

"Only until you returned, now, I'm just Sarah and I'm going back to my home as soon as dinner is through."

He sighed and reached out to touch her cheek. She pulled away and he turned away from the window and walked to his throne.

"You can never be 'just Sarah' again. You have magik now. You are a part of this place now."

"No, Hoggle would have warned me if the magik stuck to me. He only said I needed to fill in until you came back," Sarah said, slightly worried that he might be speaking the truth.

Jareth laughed softly even though his mood was swiftly dropping.

"Oh yes. I forgot. I'm the villain and am incapable of saying anything but a lie. I'm sorry Sarah. I dropped out of character for a moment."

He stood, glaring down at her. "Go home then girl. You aren't any different than when you first came."

With that he faded from her sight.

Sarah glared at where he had stood. "Aren't any different? No, of course not, I've just been kidnapping innocent children and making others go through hell to get them back for the past three months, why should that change me?" she muttered angrily.

Jareth sat in a corner in the Escher room. This was too much. He liked Sarah. But she obviously had different opinions about him. He had assumed that Hoggle would get her to run things while he was gone. He had hoped that being in the labyrinth and giving her a taste of his world would show her why he was the way he was. She still didn't seem to see it though. He gritted his teeth.

"Why can't anyone like the villain for once!" he yelled, listening to his voice echo off the walls.

What was wrong with him? He was fairly good looking. He had a great voice. He even gave lots of presents when he was in the mood. Perhaps he should have chosen another girl. Perhaps it was his fault.

He leaned his head up against the wall and continued to pout.

Sarah pulled the medallion off her neck and looked at it cautiously. Could Jareth have told her the truth about the magik? Was she really now connected to the Labyrinth because she had used its magik? She really hoped not.

With a frustrated sigh, she threw the medallion out the window, watching it sail towards the ground.

After it hit, she felt like smacking herself on the head. The only way of getting out of this place was to use the medallion. Throwing herself onto the throne, she frowned and wondered how long it would take to find it.

Jareth sighed, guessing it was time to go and see Sarah home, that is if she wasn't there already. Besides, that brat was still in his oubliette. He stood, dressed once again in his black clothes with his orange hair and transported himself back to his castle.


	9. Lesson in History

You should know by now, I don't own this

You should know by now, I don't own this.

Sarah sat curled on the throne, her eyes wide as she looked at the crystal in her hand. She had made it without the medallion, without something to help her create magik. With a moan she threw the crystal and watched it shatter at the Goblin King's feet, trying to chase off the look of fear on her face before he saw it.

Jareth stared at the shattered crystal for a moment before looking up at Sarah.

"Are you ready to return aboveground girl?" he asked, playing his part as she expected.

"I did that without the medallion, what's happened to me?" Sarah asked quietly, not looking at him, but staring straight ahead.

Jareth sighed. "I told you what has happened."

"But I'm just a normal human, nothing magik," she said, throwing a crystal at the window.

He walked around to stand beside her. "And mortals can travel between worlds and kidnap children…or at least scare the crap out of them?"

"I used the medallion, I didn't create magik, only borrowed it," she whispered, glancing her hands.

He knelt down beside her and took her hands in his.

"You think a simple piece of metal can hold so much magik? It would run out. It only helped you to learn how to use magik. It made it easier for you."

"I'll never fit in if I went back, I'd forever have to watch myself to make sure I didn't use magik and scare someone or be trapped as a science experiment or something," Sarah murmured, leaning her head back against the throne.

He smirked. "How do you think I got stuck here? You think I inherited the place?"

Sarah sat up straight and looked at him in surprise. "I thought you're fae or something?"

He laughed and smiled softly at her. "Do I really look that good?"

Her lips curved up slightly and she nodded. "So, how did you come to be Goblin King?"

Jareth opened his mouth to answer but his stomach growled up at him.

"Could we talk about this while eating? I haven't had a bite to eat since I left Mars."

Sarah nodded slowly and let him help her up. "I'm not very hungry," she murmured as she walked next to him down the hallway, wondering what would happen now. She obviously couldn't go home, the first time she slipped up and used magik, she'd find herself being poked and prodded by curious scientists. That meant she would have to stay here with Jareth and continue stealing children. Staying here she might handle, but she didn't want to go on stealing innocent kids, she had hated that. At least she now understood why Jareth had acted cruel and contemptuous, it was probably the only thing that kept him sane. She knew it had kept her from bouncing off the ceiling.

Jareth watched her as he walked. She looked a little down.

"Would you like to eat with your friends tonight perhaps? I could eat alone an we could talk more tomorrow."

Sarah shook her head, still thinking. "I want to find out how you got to be the Goblin King."

He nodded and led them to his…er…her rooms and opened the door for her.

"If I'm going to tell you that then I want to be in private."

"I thought you were hungry," Sarah murmured, slipping off her sandals and curling up in one of the chairs.

Jareth dragged over a small coffee table and a chair then formed a crystal and stared at it for a moment, then it disappeared.

"Dinner will be here in a few minutes." He lounged sideways in his chair and watched her. He sighed.

"I haven't told this to anyone. Hoggle might know. He's been here long enough but I don't think anyone else does. It's really not all that different from your adventure...except for one thing."

"You mean that you wished away a sibling?" Sarah asked, watching Jareth.

Jareth nodded, looking at his hands.

"So, what happened that was different?" Sarah asked quietly, raising Jareth's face with her fingertips until he looked at her.

He blushed. "I didn't make it to the center in time. The Goblin King at the time was tired of his work and taught me the magic. Then he took my baby brother and left. I don't know where he went but in order to learn the labyrinth I had to re-make it."

Sarah sat for a moment, silent. "Did you ever find out what happened to your brother?"

He nodded. "Yes. The king took him back to my parents and made them forget about me."

Jareth sat straight in his chair and rubbed at his chin. "I was jealous. I was an only child then my mother and father had another boy. The babe got all of their attention. I guess I felt neglected and wanted things back the way they were…so I wished my brother away. I realized that when the king came, I had made a huge mistake. He was my brother after all. So I tried to get him back…but I couldn't. The king told me to go back but I knew my parents would miss my brother so I offered to take his place instead. The king accepted. My brother went back. I was forgotten and I became king."

Sarah couldn't think of anything to say, so she took his hand and gently squeezed it.

To her surprise Jareth laughed. He leaned back in his chair, smiling sadly at her.

"Oh Sarah don't give me your pity. I could have found my brother if I had wanted. I was just too spoiled and bratty. Being that way works out well in this type of business. It was so long ago Sarah. Nothing can be changed now."

Sarah frowned slightly and pulled her hand back. "Well, you couldn't be that spoiled or you would have let the goblin king keep your brother instead of volunteering to stay."

Jareth traced the lines on his palm. "Guilt is a powerful thing Sarah."

There was a light knock on the door. Jareth got up and after a moment wheeled back a small cart with various foods on several trays.

"Dinner is served," he said sitting down.

Sarah looked at the food and lifted an eyebrow. "Chinese?"

Jareth nodded and pulled out a short stout pot from under the cart.

"Green tea?"

"Yes please, but I'll pass on the food, I'm not hungry."

He nodded and poured two cups then began to fill a small plate with little bits of food. He then picked up a pair of chopsticks and began to eat, still sitting sideways in his chair.

Sarah sipped slowly at the tea and watched as Jareth speared his food. "So, what happens now?"

He frowned at his bowl.

"I practice using chop sticks for a few minutes. Then I'll eat."

Sarah sighed. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

He blinked up at her. "It's your choice I suppose. You could go. You could stay. You could do both."

"If I go back I'll slip up sooner or later, and then I'll be poked, prodded, and passed around by various scientists who are endowed with great curiosity."

Jareth nodded, still struggling with his chopsticks. "If I had gone back I would have been considered a warlock and burned at the stake. Nasty way to die. You could stay."

Sarah's eyes widened and she stared at him. "Exactly how long have you been here?"

He smiled as he managed to pick up a piece of reddish brown meat. "In the years which you tell time…since 1692."

A small noise escaped Sarah's throat and her eyes widened. "For being over three hundred years old you look very good," she murmured.

He puffed up with pride as he began to relearn how to use chopsticks, managing to get a piece to his mouth every few moments.

"I know."

Sarah watched him struggle with the tiny sticks for a moment more before shaking her head. 

"You hold them like this," she murmured, taking the chopsticks from him and putting them correctly back in his hands.

He moved his fingers, causing the sticks to click softly as they touched. He tried it on some food and actually snatched up a piece. He looked very please with himself.

"Thank you," he said as he continued his meal. "So, what do you think you'll do?"

"I'll probably just stay here. Do you know how to make people forget about me?" she asked softly, leaning back in her chair.

He set down his plate and began to fill it again with goodies.

"It will simply happen. I would be surprised if it hasn't already happened. The only thing I'm concerned about is your brother. Toby…isn't it?"

Sarah nodded slowly. "What about him?"

"He's been here before. I wonder if he'll still remember you."

"Let me check," Sarah whispered, a crystal slowly forming in her hand. A vision of her brother appeared and she allowed him to see her face.

Toby's eyes widened as he watched the disembodied head.

"Who-who are you?" he stumbled over his words.

"Just a dream, you'll forget in a moment," Sarah whispered with a sad smile, taking the memory from him as she vanished. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and fought against her tears, not wanting to cry in front of Jareth.

Jareth set down his bowl and stood. He walked around to the side of her chair and knelt down.

"Perhaps you would like to go to your rooms now."

He thought for a moment, remembering that she had claimed these rooms while he had been gone. She was already in her rooms. "Er…that is perhaps you would like to go to sleep. I'll leave you then."

Sarah shook her head. "These are really your rooms, I'll find others to stay in," she murmured, tossing a crystal at her feet and disappearing as a tear dropped onto her cheek.


	10. The Choice

For the last time people, I don't own this, I'm only borrowing

For the last time people, I don't own this, I'm only borrowing.

She sat on the tallest spire of the castle, looking out over the Labyrinth. The breeze played with her hair and dried the tears on her cheeks. Everyone she cared about had forgotten she had ever existed. She knew she wouldn't be able to return forever to earth, but she had hoped to return for visits, and now that was out of the question.

Glancing down at the far off ground, she wondered if it would hurt if she happened to slip and fall.

Jareth was suddenly standing behind her.

"Don't you dare," he said softly into her ear as his arms slid around her waist. The black sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows revealing a watch tan.

Sarah jumped slightly and turned to look at him. "Don't what? I was only taking your advice and looking at the Labyrinth in the moonlight."

Leaving one hand at the small of her back he traced her jaw with the fingertips of the other.

"So beautiful in the moonlight. I would hate to see any harm ever come to it," he said, still studying her face.

Ducking her head, Sarah blushed slightly, knowing her eyes would look puffy and horrible from crying.

He took a deep breath and stepped away, leaning against the windowsill.

"You seemed distressed. I came to offer my company."

"Distressed is an understatement. Toby and I were close after I went through this Labyrinth to get him and now I'm not even a memory to him," she whispered, sighing softly.

Jareth seemed far away in thought. "We could change that."

"How?" Sarah asked anxiously, turning to look at him.

Jareth put his hands in his pockets. "We could bring him here. The magik of this place would pull back the memories."

"No! I don't want him to be stuck here like I am, being forgotten about by everyone. Let me be stuck here, but let him live a normal life, with family and friends."

He chewed on his lower lip.

"Well, really the only thing holding you here is your knowledge of how to use the magic so…as I see it…if you, or I, never teach him to use it, then he can come and go as he pleases…by calling upon us."

He stopped cold.

"Calling. Oh shit. I forgot about that brat in the oubliette!"

Sarah smiled and created a crystal, throwing it towards the Labyrinth. "She'll be home in a few minutes, a little wiser as to angering the leader of the goblins. As to Toby, I'm not sure if I want to drag him here, he'd be the only one who would know of me and if he slipped up back on earth he'd be sent to a psychiatrist like I was. I wouldn't want that to happen."

Jareth arched his eyebrows. "A psychiatrist?"

"They thought I had read too many fantasy books and now thought it was reality. I was sent to a psychiatrist who convinced me that I was merely a little crazy and everything had been a dream, nothing true," Sarah murmured with a shrug, still looking over the Labyrinth.

Jareth walked up to her, laughing softly. "What a quack. I am very real indeed, don't you think?" he asked, running his hands down her arms.

Sarah nodded and shrugged. "Well, he pretty well convinced me, but now I think he's changed his tune. A view of the Labyrinth can change one's perception of reality very well."

"And what do you mean by that dear Sarah?" he asked as he fiddled with a bit of her hair.

"I dressed up and paid him a visit," Sarah answered, her voice calm, but a wicked smile on her face.

Jareth began to chuckle, then to laugh. He pressed one hand to his side while holding himself up with one hand still on her shoulder.

"Oh…y-you really are the Goblin Qu-Queen," he said through his laughter.

"I just wanted some payback for all the time I wasted having him tell me I was delusional," Sarah said with a small chuckle.

Jareth looked up at her, tears in his eyes. "Oh my. That is just grand. The look on his face must have been priceless! I'll bet he's seeing a shrink now."

"Serves him right," Sarah murmured, leaning back against his chest as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Jareth's laughed settled as he realized her closeness. This was quite sudden. He smiled and pulled her against him. "So…you have decided to stay then?" he asked quietly.

Sarah nodded. "Sounds like the easiest option."

"You do realize that that will mean putting up with me? The annoying, flirtatious, cruel, beautiful, arrogant, selfish Goblin King himself," he said spreading his fingers over her stomach and brushing his lips against her ear.

"Yes, but I understand you a little more now that I've had to kidnap children and heard your history," Sarah whispered, shivering slightly as his breath blew against her ear.

He laughed softly before moving his mouth to her neck.

"Ah. So hearing my history and doing my job has shined the light on my personality? Now you know me then? You think there are no more surprises then?"

"There will always be surprises, just not always from you," Sarah whispered, turning and pulling his lips to hers, surprising them both.

Jareth turned her around and pressed her against his chest, not taking his lips from hers. He must admit. He was surprised. He was very surprised. That wasn't going to stop him right now though. A voice rang in his head, which caused his mood to drop.

"I wish the goblins would..."

He sighed as he pulled away. "Business calls at all hours of the night. I hate this job. You have terrible hours and no holidays."

"I don't want to kidnap kids, if the world can forget about people, why couldn't we make them forget about a goblin king and queen who steal children?" Sarah asked, leaning against the window frame and wondering what had come over her.

Jareth scratched his head. "But it's my job. If we don't do that then what do we do?"

"Rule this kingdom and the goblins, I don't know, but not make innocent kids have to go through this awful Labyrinth to get their sisters and brothers back."

Jareth was silent and the voice called again. He silently told the child's voice to shove it and stepped up behind Sarah.

"You will be my Queen then? I will make all your dreams come true, as I offered to ten years ago," he said softly.

Sarah thought for a moment and looked at him, surprised that the hatred she used to feel every time she looked at him was gone. She wondered vaguely when it had left, but couldn't really figure it out. With a slight smile, she nodded slowly, leaning her face against his hand when he reached over to touch her cheek with his fingers.

"I wish the Goblins would take you away right now darn it all!"

Jareth growled. "Oh shove it up your arse foolish child!" he yelled at the sky.

Sarah laughed quietly and wondered if the child had heard him, probably.

There was a quiet knock on the door.

"Your highness?" one of the goblins said from the other side. "A child calls."

"Well, Jareth, what do you say, shall we give up stealing little children and make them forget us? It would be much more peaceful around here," Sarah murmured.

Jareth shrugged and began to lay kisses down her neck.

"Oh, your decision Queen Sarah. I'm busy."

Sarah smiled softly. "How do we make them forget us?"

He shrugged, still preoccupied and the goblin knocked again. "Don't show up for a couple of years?" he suggested before returning to his taste.

"Sounds good," she whispered, kissing his ear before turning and shouting at the knocking goblin.

"Go away, we're both well aware that there is a child calling for us, ignore them from now on," she said irritably.

There was a collective mumble and Jareth looked towards the door.

"Shoo! Or I'll tip you head first into the bog of eternal stench!"

The mumble stopped and the sound of retreating footsteps could be heard as Jareth nodded, content, and returned his attention to Sarah.

"Why didn't they listen to me?" Sarah murmured, running her lips down his neck to his collarbone.

Jareth kissed her forehead and trailed his fingers down her back. "I think it's because they've seen me do it before."

"Can we warp somewhere where there isn't a fear of falling out of a window on accident?" Sarah murmured, brushing her lips against his.

Jareth grinned and leaned her backwards out of the window, his arms holding her safely and his lips kissing her neck.

"But that's half the fun of it."

"Mm? And if a goblin doesn't know we're up here and happens to walk in?" Sarah asked, running her fingers over his spiky hair.

He stopped and frowned. "Well I suppose that would make a scene now wouldn't it?"

Sarah smiled and nodded. "It probably would."

He kissed her while transporting them to his chambers, the food cart gone and all the furniture back where it had been before they had eaten there. He pulled away and looked around the room.

"Is this better?"

"Much," Sarah said, frowning as another voice drifted by.

"Are you going to get this child or not?!"

"No," Sarah said angrily, shoving the voice back towards earth and away from the Labyrinth.

Jareth smiled at her and began to unbutton his shirt. "You do make a wonderful Queen you know that?"

"You're not that bad of a king either," Sarah murmured with a smile, moving his hands away and finishing unbuttoning his shirt, smiling at him.

El Fin


End file.
